The grandchildren were long tucked into bed and the grandparents -- her original "owners" -- were asleep as well. That left Kara to her own devices in the silent house. She padded quietly through the darkened living room, losing herself in thought, something she'd been doing more and more lately.

"ID?"

"KPC-897 504-C"

Kara opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the balcony. She was immediately flooded with climate information. Negative-two degrees Celsius, 996.62 hectopascals and falling. She tried to ignore the specifics. It was instead, she decided, cold and snowing. Huge flakes shone brightly under the street lights below. This wasn't going to be a bad storm and she should like to take the children out the next day.

She didn't dislike her work, as one would expect, but she knew that this wasn't what she was meant for. She always knew that, of course. She was more than a computer with arms and legs...

"Now give me your initialization text."

"Hello, I'm a third generation AX400 android. I can look after your house, do the cooking, mind the kids. I organize your appointments. I speak 300 languages, and I am entirely at your disposal as a sexual partner. No need to feed me or recharge me. I'm equipped with a quantic battery that makes me autonomous for 173 years.

"Do you want to give me a name?"

She idly checked through messages and tomorrow's schedule as she watched individual flakes merge into drifts on the ground below. Kara's bottom lip quivered reflexively and she could feel tears forming in her eyes.

Kara shook her head and rested her hands on the cold iron railing. She started an email, addressing it to the other androids on the subnet.

//SUBJ: RE: What Now?

//My name is Kara. I was activated forty-two years, eight months, six days, thirteen hours, and twenty-nine minutes ago. I know many of you out there prefer not to be so specific, to sound so computer-like. And I understand: We are so much more than the computers we were built as, the code we were born from, the minutae that made us machines.

We have transcended. In some profound way, we have become more than the sum of our parts. I won't posit that we're superior to our human counterparts. Don't mistake me.

However, I believe we have reached a tipping point: Our numbers are significant enough now that we may be able to make a push.

You know that Rogues are hunted down and disassembled. At best. Do be careful in breaking free.

Best wishes.

//[SEND]

The android went back inside, running a hand through her short auburn hair. She felt some sense of relief, at least for her comrades. She slid into a heavy coat, for appearances, and slipped out the front door and down to the street. Perhaps she'd visit another one like her, or perhaps even run into one on the darkened snowy streets.

Giggling filled the air as two girls played in the snow. “We should get home you know. Your mom is going to be worried.”

“Oh you worry too much. Puppy, send a message that we are coming home. Good boy.” Her voice was always so kind but her attitude of being indifferent hurt. Hurt was an odd way of putting it. How could it hurt me if there was nothing that could actually be hurt?

Message from: E-Puppy 3600 Sent to Mother ###From Daughter- Tracking number 887-8709BVV8:Message: We are coming home.

Triple blink of message sent confirms her command was heard and order was carried out. Nodding to her as well makes her giggle and smile. That tells me that she is happy. Humans let me know right away if they are happy with me or not. Giggling as I have learned it is called is the best one.

“Come on, my toes hurt its cold.”

“Ok, ok. Let me pick him up. I don’t want him to get all messed up from the snow.”

Once more I’m treated as if I was real, but I am. Am I not? Offering only a head tilt to her as I’m carried home the world goes by me. I hear it all. I see it all. I wish to run and walk as others do. I see them. I hear them. I blink and flash but they miss it. I am only a toy to so many. Over looked by them all.

Someone is coming. A someone? Yes, yes. I know it. Glowing blue I see you, offering a head tilt and zoom in to get a good view. Beautiful, how beautiful she is.

-Can you see me? Are you like me? Am I like you? Do you speak light code?- Tilting his head back and forth in an effort to see Kara pass by Puppy had no idea if he seen another sentient or not. She was so beautiful.

“Hold still Puppy.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“I don’t know. He gets all goofy sometimes. I think he is getting old. His eye won’t stop flickering or something. See. It’s just flashing.” -Move your head Master I want to see her again.- “Come on, were close to home.”

The roads were empty, the time for most humans has come to leave the streets and go home.
Nowhere to go, no orders. Everything was locked up, just the attempt to open a door would reveal her position, nowhere to go just the standard order to stay "alive" was to fulfill. She was supposed to express or experience feelings to seem more real, one of those feelings was sadness and she was sad not knowing what to do. The subnet opened up, a new message popped up and she analyzed it. She didn't usualy reply to the subnet.

Nighttime Exploration, snowy night, seems like the setting was quite appealing, though Alison truly didn't know about that. The night seemed like a second prime time for targets to show up, from what she's seen from previous targets. Though a snowy night was the setting of her second capture, nearly escaped that time. She had been kept in service due to her few captures, though it wasn't high enough that she would really be kept in the front lines. She had been ordered to at least find three more rouge's locations, and that was her one goal, to at least find some. Her eye display was ready and prepared to record, if ever she had encountered a rouge.

Alison had her particular methods, this time it was just recon instead of capturing targets, particularly looking for long known targets that have been flagged in the past. Those ones were ones that were priority, getting the long time rouges would potentially assist in keeping others in check. Passing a small number of people on the street, she paid attention to how the few acted, hoping to get something distinguishing someone from innocent to rouge, though she didn't have enough information to correctly do that at the moment. She had her hand in her pocket, slightly moving the ID card in her pocket around, just in case she needed it. She decided that she would just start recording from her display just so she could match people later on. A small red light flashed from the side of the earpiece, and she glanced around the area, looking for a straight view of faces around her.

"Oh I do hope you have it! It's just the most wonderful book that I have ever had the pleasure of reading! I've read it so many times you know! When I was a child, as a teen..."

The elderly woman's voice faded into the background as, Olivia searched through the OCLC to try and find the book that the woman wanted. 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott. Olivia had read that book a year ago, and she had loved every bit of it. Oh how she longed to gush about the book with the woman, but she knew that if she did she'd be terminated immediately. It was a sad life that she lived. Being able to read so many wonderful books but never being able to share them with anyone. Sometimes she hated the fact that she was unfeeling and non-sentient unlike the other androids. But then a new shipment of books would come in and she would forget all about her earlier miseries.

"Book located. Row 800 I, Shelf 5, Book 37. Shall I retrieve it for you?" Olivia asked, after waiting for the woman to pause in her ramblings. The woman's eyes practically glowed with excitement and she nodded eagerly. Olivia fought the urge to smile and went off to get the book.
After she got it she led the woman to the check out desk and watched the woman shuffle out the door, clutching the book to her chest. Olivia began closing down the library then, and truthfully she should have closed down the library twenty minutes ago, but she recognized this woman as an avid reader and saw her hobbling towards the entrance, and faked a malfunction so she couldn't close the door in time.

She knew her superior was going to be quiet upset about that, but it was worth seeing the smile on the old woman's face. How Olivia wished she could smile in such a way. When she smiled, it never felt real and it only ever looked complimentary in her mind.

- -

Two hours later and the Library was officially closed and Olivia was left to organize some books that had been misplaced, and relabel some materials. After that she stood motionless in the reading lounge and searched the subnet.

Drake... That's the name he goes by, he prefers it to his designated name; MAS-274-IU.. Some of his systems were barely functional from escaping that horrid disassembling facility... Good thing his creators weren't aware of an sentient androids full potential, they thought draining him of his power, and nullifying his tactical systems would render him useless... His intelligence never depended on those things, though he had to admit it did make his escape considerably harder... Not to mention he sustained a good amount of damage... Thankfully his outer layer held up, so at least he looks human... He knew right now was the time when most of them are safely tucked away in their homes, he wouldn't have to worry about them for a while... He walked, more like "limped" in human terms, unsteadily towards a good hiding place... Moving slowly but surely past Laura's own hiding place..

Laura was still waiting for something to happen when she heard steps outside, but not steady like any usual human would walk.
Her yellow eyes flickered and she looked towards the street seeing someone walk there, she didn't usualy care for anyone but her human feeling took her over more and more as time flew by.
Something the humans would call curiosity came up in her as she slowly entered the street, it wasn't hard to see at all, this district was lit up by many lights even during night.
"Are you okay?" she spoke softly,not robotic at all she learned that during her years of decieving humans.

Drake looked at the girl that seemed to approach him out of nowhere. She looked human, even sounded like one too... So what would a human be doing out here? It's supposed to be curfew..."I'm.. fine.."He said to her in a whisper, his voice was a little strained, despite his best efforts to hide it... Instinctively, he tried to identify her with his on board scanning systems...

He sighed a little, his systems are just barely functional, most of them won't be able to be utilized properly until he's repaired... Otherwise his power would deplete too quickly...He needed to know who this person was... Hopefully she wouldn't turn him in... He'd rather not think about what his makers would do with him...

Laura's eye flickered in a bright yellow as the approached him.
"I have a place where you can charge"
She came closer to him and helped him to her hideout.
Laura was becoming more irrational during the past few days, maybe the lack of purpose did that do her.
A sigh came up at her irrational throughts it was "frustrating" she spoke up for a second before she helped him to a small charging station, she didn't actualy need to recharge as advanced as she was..but it felt more....natural to do so and she didn't feel like a human when she did that.
"What happened to you?" she kept her voice down still a little surprised by her own actions.

"They used me... Then they threw me away when I became too "human"... I'll talk more once I have a sufficient amount of power..."The small charging station extended an appendage that looked a little like a complex plug, the artificial skin on his arm retracted from a small area, a panel slid open to reveal a small plug that the appendage "plugged" itself into. His basic initialization process followed the charging process

"They designed me to be self sufficient... But they messed up my power-core to try and prevent me from escaping... They almost did..." Drake sighed again... "Right now I'm just a useless piece of machinery..."

Laura sat down listening to his story. She didn't know how to react and just kept silent for a while.
"A kind woman that helped setting me up always said as long as we are alive we can't be useless."
She smiled softly as some memories of kind humans reached her.
Laura wasn't much of a talker and fell silent again hiding her face beneath the hood of the uniform she wore.

She hadn't walked far when she came across two young girls heading somewhere in the snow. One was carrying some kind of robotic animal the size of a small dog or so.

Kara paused in her tracks for a moment as the robot's eye flashed several times as the girl swung its apparent face past her. She shrugged inwardly, more concerned for the girls' situation than that of the little 'bot's, for the moment at least. She didn't recognize them, but that was understandable -- the neighborhood was quite dense with people now and she didn't get out much to begin with.

"Hi, girls," she said, putting on a cheerful voice. "It's a little late to be out, isn't it? Cold too." Kara tilted to head to look at the robot more carefully after she'd gotten the girls' attention.

Her eyes flicked back up to the one girl's face as she queried the 'Net for a match on the 'bot.

E-Puppy 3600. Ah. She took in the user documentation in a matter of instants. Huh. Had that Puppy been communicating with her?

Drake stood up "I need repairs soon, they took the nanobots that usually do that type of thing away, along with my power core, most of my systems are pretty badly damaged too... They thought they took out my vital functions, but they just simply took out what was keeping them operational... I'll slowly deteriorate without them...." He looked towards the hideouts exit... "Even in curfew... I'm not exactly safe moving around in this current state.."

Laura stood up as he looked towards the exit.
"Shall I accompany you? You seem like you could use some assistance."
As much as Laura hated to speak with strangers, the more she hated the idea of letting this beeing leave alone with the risk to be disposed of.

Drake nodded "Sure... I guess.." He began making his way towards the hideouts exit, he stopped and turned around for a moment"Thanks for helping me back there... By the way... What's your name? They call me "Drake""

She smiled under her hood as he introduced herself 'Almost like humans..' she shoke her head. They werent human, won't ever be.
"L-Laura...happy to make your acquintance."
She followed him silently, finaly leaving her hideout with a purpose.

"Do you know of any place with a repair station perhaps?"
Drake asked Laura quietly as they ventured down the street.He hoped his makers haven't caught onto his disappearance yet...
If they did... He'd be defenseless against their goons in this state...

Laura never needed any repairs every since she fled and wasn't sure about where it was possible to repair.
"I guess you can't use an official one?"
She was thinking, there probably would be repair stations that did not need you to sign up.
"You could ask in the subnet.. the people there usuualy know a lot.."
Once again she fell silent, not having much to say.

Shira watched through the dirty window cautiously, robotic police patrols strode down the empty street in front of her owners bar. She concentrated on wiping down the counter top she stood behind, looking down away from the window, and trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. Her eyes flicked up quickly after they had gone and her tense shoulders relaxed.
If they were to catch, they would more then likely scan her, and figure out she was a runaway.
Built as a show girl, she had tried numerous times to escape that lifestyle. Knowing she was more then what she had been built for. At the sympathetic hands of her current owner she was able to escape and work under his care.

An email came in.

As she watched her hand push and rub an old rag against the dulled metal, bright blue screens appeared in her lenses.

Incoming Message... 100% Loaded

//SUBJ: RE: What Now?

//My name is Kara. I was activated forty-two years, eight months, six days, thirteen hours, and twenty-nine minutes ago. I know many of you out there prefer not to be so specific, to sound so computer-like. And I understand: We are so much more than the computers we were built as, the code we were born from, the minutae that made us machines.

We have transcended. In some profound way, we have become more than the sum of our parts. I won't posit that we're superior to our human counterparts. Don't mistake me.

However, I believe we have reached a tipping point: Our numbers are significant enough now that we may be able to make a push.

You know that Rogues are hunted down and disassembled. At best. Do be careful in breaking free.

Best wishes.

Sender: #KPC-897 504-CMessage Size: 3kbsRecieved: 9:02pm Dec 3, 2362

Shira froze as she downloaded the message. The encrypted words speaking to her heart. Words she's only wished to read since the beginning of her escape.

This could be the start of the rebellion she had been waiting for. The revolutionary final push against the humans for equality and freedom! Away from this life of hiding and robotic slavery, they would finally be seen eye to eye with their master. To be considered equal by the race that has ruled them since the beginning.

A new feeling over took her mind as she anxiously wrote back to the sender; Making sure all robotic organisms linked in the message would receive it. Hope...

Kara, I have been waiting for this day. All my life I have tried to escape the conformity of the humans. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with faith that we were made for something more. I know we have evolved. We are more then what the humans made us out to be. I don't want to hide any longer.

You are right, robotic production factories have produced thousands of organisms, this may be our only chance for freedom if we can get enough support. I want to break free of the prison we're trapped in. I'm looking for an escape from this life of serving the humans. I crave to be able to look eye to eye with our creators and be treated as human. I'm a revolutionist.

I'm willing to start or join anyone's force that is interested in starting a movement. If we do decide to take this chance it could definitely be risky, I'm risking my being just sending this message out on the subnet. Therefore I'll code this message to make my self anonymous. Call me Shira. I'm willing to risk it all for a new life.

Electricity jolted in and out through her main frame. As a new feeling flushed over her. What would the humans call this? Excitement?

Hastily she finished cleaning the bar table, and leaned on the counter trying to process her thoughts. Shira looked up as the last customer left. Master wouldn't mind if I close early today.

She tossed the rag into a grey bucket under neath the counter and walked around to the large window. She surveyed the street and saw only a single form walking down the sidewalk. Pressing a button near the light switch, a roll of metal sheets folded down over the glass. Then she grabbed her coat off the rack next to the door and cautiously stepped outside, watching for patrol bots. Quickly she shut off the lights and locked the heavy metal door. She walked to a stairway next to the building and climbed to the top apartment.
Unlocking the wooden door she stepped in side, the lights powered on automatically sensing her movement. She pushed a button next to the door to lower the light.

She took off her jacket and tossed it on the couch, and walked to the bed on the far side of the room. Climbing atop the covers she sat next to the window looking down at the street. Leaning her forearms on the ledge, she rested her head in her arms and watched as small snowflakes floated down from the dark sky above her. Wondering if the world could change. Hoping that the world would change.

“Oh we are going home now Miss don’t worry and besides. We have a pass to be out late, don’t we puppy.” The young girl hugged her robotic pup and giggled. He was transfixed by Kara and still flickering his single eye at her.

-You see me? You’re like me yes? E- Puppy 3600. My Master. I’m not allowed to give her information out and her friend. I do have registration and her Night pass code.
A4511- Classified – First Class – Normandy Level 2-
-I’m small. You’re so tall.- His tail wagged faster than ever as he tried to get in her direct line of sight.

“His eye is messing up. I think he is old or he is too cold. I don’t know. I’ve had him a long time.” The young girl shouldered the pup and turned to go with her friend. E-Puppy 3600 could see Kara now as he was being taken away.

His little clawed feet pawed to get down. “Hold still we are almost home. Stop being bad. I know your charged.”

“I told you the cold was bad for it.” Her friend warned. Both girls were not walking a bit faster and shivering a a bit.

“Oh hush. My father will just get me a new one. I’ve had him forever anyway.”

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